De bodor



June 26, 1956 P. DE BoDoR SHOPPING REMINDER Filed May 23, 1955 INVENTOR. Pnl/ DE 50D of? H T To United States Patent O M SHOPPING REMINDER Paul De Bodor, Hollywood, Fla., assignor to Apex Products Corporation, Dania, Fla., a corporation of New York Application May 23, 1955, Serial No. 510,067

2 Claims. (Cl. 116-135) This invention relates to shopping reminders and more particularly to a new and useful improvement in a bookform shopping reminder.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device for reminding busy housewives or other persons of the necessity of attending to certain matters listed on the device such as the purchase of items of household supplies or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shopping reminder that serves as a continuous warning to the user that a particular item or items listed thereon needs to be purchased or otherwise needs attention, which warning will remain as such until the item or items have been attended to by the user.

A further object is to provide a book-form shopping reminder with convenient means for supporting a memorandum pad and writing utensil.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a book-form shopping reminder that is simple and rugged in construction, attractive in appearance, and which can be manufactured and sold at a reasonable cost.

The invention broadly comprises a book-form shopping reminder having several columns of items such as household supplies or the like printed or otherwise applied to the inner surface of its front cover, in side by side relation. A moving element is associated with each item in the columns and is adapted to be displaced from time to time from its normal position. Provision is also made for supporting a memorandum pad and a writing utensil, such as a pencil, and a pocket is provided for storing memoranda or the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description thereof to follow taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in Which- Figure l is a front perspective View of the book-form shopping reminder embodying the present invention shown in closed condition.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the shopping reminder spread out atwise and looking at the inside thereof.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the book form shopping reminder embodying the present invention comprises a flexible casing 10, rectangular in shape when spread out as shown in Figure 2. The casing is composed of an outer layer 11 and an inner layer or lining 12 of suitable flexible material, such as plastic material, leather or the like. The layers are joined together at their edges by heat sealing and pressure but may be joined in any other suitable manner. The casing is adapted to be folded at its center so as to make a book-shaped device having a front cover 13 and a rear cover 14 as seen in Figure 1. A strap 15 is formed integrally with the end edge of rear cover 14 and slidably supports a buckle or frame 16 having a socket snap fastener element 17 adapted to be snapped over a stud snap fastener element 18 on the outer surface of the front cover 13.

On the surface of the lining of the front cover 13, two

Patented June 26, 1956 superposed sheets 19 and 20, coextensive with the inner surface of the front cover, are joined together along their edges by heat sealing and pressure, and the joined sheets are joined to the end edge and to the top and bottom edges of the inner surface of the front cover 13 by heat sealing and pressure, the inner joined edges of said sheets 19 and 20 being unattached to provide a pocket 21 behind said sheets. A thin strip 22 of fabric, canvas or the like may be interposed between the outer and inner layers of the front cover.

The superposed sheets 19 and 20 at their center portions are pressed by a suitable tool to form on the eX- posed surface of sheet 19 a vertical column of horizontally disposed elongated at depressed portions 23 and tubular projecting portions 24, the tubular portions each having an opening 25 at its end opening into the depressed portion 23.

On the exposed face of the sheet 19 on both sides of the central pressed portion of the sheet, indicia 26, in two columns, is printed or otherwise applied thereto. This indicia is shown as representing a list of items of household commodities or groceries, such as, bacon, bread, butter and the like. The printed items are aligned With and positioned adjacent to the flat depressed portions 23.

A slidable element 27 is slidably mounted in each tubular projecting portion 24 and this element is shown as a pin extending through the opening 25 in the tubular portion, the pin having a spherical head 28 larger in diameter than the diameter of the opening so as to limit its inward movement. The head seats on the depressed portion aligned with the tubular portion.

It will be noted that the tubular portions 24 are arranged so that every other tubular portion points in the same direction so that the heads of the pins are disposed in alignment with the printed items. The depressed portions 24 provide clearance for grasping the heads of the pins for manipulating such pins.

When the need for replenishing the various items or commodities listed is discovered, the pin or pins opposite said item or items are manually slid outwardly of the tubular portions along the depressed portion to the outer end thereof with the heads of the pins pointing toward the item or items needed to be replenished or purchased. In Figure 2, it will be noted that the pins opposite the items of Bacon, Cereal, Soap and Sugar have been displaced outwardly. After the pins have thus been operated, their displaced condition will indicate that such particular items are to be purchased or attended to by the user. After such matters have been attended to, the pins may be manually returned to normal position inside the tubular portions.

The invention also contemplates providing convenient means for making a memorandum or the like concerning the items listed or the like, and for this purpose the lining 12 inside the rear cover 14 may be slit along a line parallel with its top edge to provide a pocket 29 for receiving the back or base 30 of a paper pad 31. The base 30 of the pad is inserted through the slit and positioned inside the lining in the pocket 29 with the pad 31 outside the lining, thereby providing an interlock between the pad and lining.

Adjacent the end edge of the rear cover 14, midway the top and bottom edges thereof, the lining 12 is formed with a pair of parallel slits to form a loop 32 for supporting a writing utensil, such as a pencil 33. The pointed end of the pencil may be inserted into a pocket 34 formed at the bottom of the lining in alignment with the loop 32, by slitting the material of the lining.

Any memoranda written on the top sheet of the pad 31 may be stored away in the pocket 21 behind the sheets Y 3 19 and 20 by tearing oi said top sheet along the perforated line 35 formed at the top of the pad,

While I have illustrated `and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that changes in details mightbe Ymade WithoutV departing from the principle of the invention and I desire therefore to be limited only by the state of the prior art and the appended claims. Y

Having thusY described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by United YStates I etters Patent is:

1. A shopping reminder comprising a book-form cas-Y ing having front and rear hinged covers, the inside surface of one of said covers having a column of horizontally disposed aligned depressed and tubular raised portions, the raised portions having openings in one end thereof, removable slidingV pins extending through said openingsand being encased in said tubular portions, the open ends of alternate raised portions facing in opposite directions, and indicia printed on opposite sides of said column of depressed and raised portions in line with the open ends of said tubular raised portions, said pins hav- 4 ing head portions seated on the depressed portonsin line with the printed indicia. t

2. A shopping reminder comprising a book form casing having front and rear covers, the inside surface of one of said covers being flat and printable and having a vertical column of horizontally disposed aligned dat depressed portions and tubular raised portions, the tubular raised portions extending part'way over the depressed portions and having open ends at their ends on the depressed portions, indicia printed on the surfaceV on both sides of said `,'ertical column in line with the open ends of the raised portions, and headed pins slidably and removably mounted through said open ends, with the heads pointed toward the indicia, alternate raised portions having their open ends'acing .in the same direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 889,727 Siegfried June 2, 1908 917,495 Schnitzspan Apr. 6, 1909 1,705,581 Marco Mar. 19, 1929 Y 2,088,646 Gilbert Aug. 3, 1937 

